Empowering Individuals in the Global Community Through Entrepreneurship
These organizations help maximize our reach, intellectual capacity and effectiveness through technical support, fundraising support or communicating our mission with Whole Foods Market team members, customers and the general public.
Kashi is a small (after 25 years, still fewer than 70 of us) band of passionate people who believe right down to our bones that everyone has the power to make positive changes in their lives. This belief is tightly connected to the Whole Planet Foundation’s desire to actively participate in and improve our communities. To this end, Kashi will be sharing about Whole Planet's mission and work on the back of over 100,000 boxes of cereal and donating a portion of proceeds to this work during Whole Food's 30th anniversary celebration. We are proud to contribute to the Whole Planet Foundation’s mission to end world poverty and hunger.
With the support of Whole Planet Foundation, four US college students will be spending the summer of 2010 shooting a documentary in Guatemala to demonstrate the reality of living on less than one dollar a day. In order to gain this understanding, they will be conducting research on how the rural poor manage their money. In a creatively youthful way, they are doing research by working alongside their neighbors, conducting interviews, and creating financial diaries, all the while subsisting on less than one dollar a day themselves. The goals of this film are twofold. First, to increase awareness about how access to reliable financial services, such as microfinance, can help the poor. Second, to raise $100,000 dollars for Grameen Guatemala and Fonkoze in Haiti, whose borrowers have been recently devastated by natural disasters. If you are interested or would like to make a donation, please follow their story and show your support at www.onedollaraday.weebly.com
Back To Love, the new album from acclaimed singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, is now available at Whole Foods Market. Hailed by MOJO as a “Gorgeous return to mainstream rock” in a four-star review, Back To Love entered Billboard’s Heatseekers chart at No. 15, the Folk chart at No.10 and the Internet chart at No. 17. In addition to her own albums, Nielsen Chapman has written hits for Bonnie Raitt, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and many others. As an independent artist with her own record label, BNC Records, Beth understands firsthand how powerful it is for a woman to own her own business. She will be donating 100% of her proceeds from album sales at Whole Foods Market to Whole Planet Foundation in order to assist poor women living in communities that supply Whole Foods Market stores with products.
Genji is a premier provider of all-natural sushi and Japanese cuisine. Their Mission is to help their customers lead a healthy daily lifestyle by serving the highest quality Japanese-inspired cuisine with all-natural, fresh and nutritious ingredients. Genji follows the strictest food safety standards and seeks out environmentally-friendly sources.
To support Whole Planet Foundation, Genji donated $1,093 from sushi sales in five Whole Foods Market regions; North Atlantic, North East, Mid Atlantic, South, and Florida. This support will empower 6 women entrepreneurs, enabling 30 people with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
For more than 15 years Shoes For Crews has partnered with Whole Food Market in helping reduce Team Member slip and fall accidents. In support of the mission of Whole Planet Foundation, Shoes For Crews committed to donate $1 to the Foundation for every pair of slip-resistant footwear sold to Whole Foods Market Team Members between October 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. We are proud to announce that Shoes For Crews has donated a total of $7,449. Shoes For Crews is glad to be a part of the Whole Food Market Safety program and we appreciate the opportunity through Whole Planet Foundation to make a difference in the world one slip-resistant step at a time.
Tasting Table is the free daily email about the very best of eating and drinking culture across the country. Each day, subscribers receive one delicious discovery, covering a range of epicurean topics including dining, wine, cocktails, personalities and food travel. Tasting Table stands out for its unique approach to editorial coverage: Every recommendation is based on first-hand research—not blog posts or press releases—and is delivered to readers in a smart, lively voice. Tasting Table fully supports and champions sustainable organic farming, humanely raised livestock, and the farm-to-table, slow food, and locavore movements.
Whole Foods Market and Whole Planet Foundation have teamed up with TastingTable.com to empower the poor through microcredit loans. Through March 31, Tasting Table will donate $2 to Whole Planet Foundation's 2010 Prosperity Campaign for every new subscriber who signs up to receive its free daily epicurean emails at TastingTable.com/wholefoods, and a $1,000 Whole Foods Market gift card to one lucky winner! Current Tasting Table subscribers can also participate by inviting friends to join the table at tastingtable.com/wpf-invite. “Tasting Table has partnered with Whole Planet Foundation to help us reach our campaign goal of raising $1.5 million to empower 40,000 people in developing world communities with the chance to change their own lives,” said Philip Sansone, Whole Planet Foundation’s president and executive director. The partnership with Tasting Table is the first of its kind for the foundation’s annual Prosperity Campaign, a nationally driven fundraiser that invites Whole Foods customers to donate directly to the foundation at checkouts in stores across the country, or online at wholeplanetfoundation.org. One hundred percent of customer donations will go directly to fund microlending projects, supporting the foundation’s mission to create economic partnerships with the poor in developing-world communities that supply the Austin, Texas-based natural and organic foods retailer’s stores with product. “As devoted supporters of farm-to-table principles, our digital publication shares a commitment to conscientious consumerism,” said Tasting Table CEO Geoff Bartakovics. “Given these shared values, we’re proud to support the Prosperity Campaign by welcoming like-minded Whole Foods Market customers to our community of food and drink enthusiasts.” As a celebration of this partnership, Tasting Table designed four exclusive recipes using Whole Foods’ Whole Trade Guarantee products, which are made by companies dedicated to ethical trade, quality, and the environment. Those who sign up or invite friends through this special campaign will receive the online recipes as well as Whole Foods Market coupons in some markets. Sign up today.
To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America follows several entrepreneurial women borrowers as they pursue their paths from poverty to success, whether opening a bakery, starting a hair salon, or selling ice cream. The documentary will be accompanied by an expansive education/impact campaign utilizing public-private partnerships, national organizations, grassroots outreach and community screenings to provide information, improve understanding, and produce easy-to-accomplish ways to engage, and create social change primarily through Grameen America and microcredit. To donate or get involved go to www.tocatchadollar.com.
Whole Planet Foundation's Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund was launched in November 2009. The purpose of the Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund is to engage Whole Foods Market vendors, suppliers and partners in Whole Planet Foundation's mission to empower the poor through microcredit. Each member's $25,000 annual donation to Whole Planet Foundation provides expansion funds for new microlending projects. In 2010, Whole Planet Foundation has plans to support the poor in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, China, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. To recognize the generosity of Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund members, Whole Planet Foundation announces new members online, in our e-newsletter and encourages Whole Foods Market locations to celebrate this meaningful support. Members are encouraged to promote their support of Whole Planet Foundation's mission to raise awareness for poverty eradication.
"Poverty is Unnecessary" - Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Laureate
The Simply Orange Juice Company is the founding member and proud sponsor of Whole Planet Foundation's Poverty Is Unnecessary Fund donating $25,000 in one year to empower the poor through microcredit. Made from premium, 100 percent not-from-concentrate orange juice, Simply Orange® is never frozen, never sweetened, and gently pasteurized to ensure that you always enjoy a "fresh-squeezed" taste experience. Enjoy Simply Fresh-Squeezed Taste.
Whole Planet Foundation's $10,000 level fund was launched in September 2009, with founding member Be Green Packaging. The purpose of the fund is to engage members of the Whole Foods Market family - vendors, suppliers, shoppers - in Whole Planet Foundation's mission to empower the poor through microcredit. Each member's $10,000 annual donation to Whole Planet Foundation provides expansion funds for new microlending projects. In 2010, Whole Planet Foundation has plans to support the poor in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, China, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. To recognize the generosity of fund members, Whole Planet Foundation announces new members online, to Whole Foods Market team members and in our e-newsletter. Members are encouraged to promote their support of Whole Planet Foundation's mission to raise awareness for poverty eradication. $1 can make a difference in the life of an impoverished entrepreneur, and $10,000 can change the lives of 50 impoverished families for generations.
Be Green Packaging is the founding member of Whole Planet Foundation's new fund donating $10,000 in one year to empower the poor through microcredit. Be Green Packaging's mission is to design, develop, manufacture, and distribute tree free, compostable food container packaging worldwide. Be Green's express intent is to reduce our reliance on forested and pretroleum based raw materials. Making this unique packaging available, affordable, and functional, Be Green will catalyze positive change across many industries.
Several Whole Foods Market vendors have contributed funds to Whole Planet Foundation through the Whole Foods Market Vendor Scanback Program, whereby a portion of a product sold in Whole Foods Market stores is donated to Whole Planet Foundation. We would like to thank the following valued partners for their generous contribututions: Annie Chun's, Back to Nature, Balance Bar, Boiron, Brown Cow Yogurt, Emerita, Evian, Futurebiotics, Garden of Life, Ginger People, Hain-Celestial Group, Honest Tea, Kagome Juices, Method, Natrol, The Natural Dentist, ReNew Life, Shikai, Stonyfield Farm Yogurt, Spectrum, Traditional Medicinals Teas, Volvic.
Each year, Whole Planet Foundation and Whole Foods Market offer a calendar for sale in U.S. stores. Shoppers buy the calendar for $2, receive coupon savings, and 100% of the proceeds benefit Whole Planet Foundation microlending projects. We are grateful to Mambo Sprouts Marketing for coordinating the calendar and the vendors supporting it. We would like to thank the following valued partners for their generous contributions in 2008: Clif Bar & Co, Garden of Life, Kashi Company, Kerry Food and Beverage, Luna Bar, Nordic Naturals, Organic Valley, Rainbow Light Nutritionals and Whole Foods Market. These vendors sponsored the calendar as well as over $13 in coupons, enabling Whole Planet Foundation to raise awareness and over $70,000 for microcredit loans for the poor in communities where Whole Foods Market sources product. *as of December 31, 2008, with each microcredit client supporting on average 5 family members, in the developing world
In 2009, we are honored to receive continuous support from Nordic Naturals, Clif Bar & Co., Kashi Company, Luna Bar and Organic Valley as well as support from these additional partners: Allegro Coffee Company, Barilla, Celestial Seasonings, Earth's Best Organic, Fiji, HALO, Nature's Path, New Chapter, RiceSelect, Oregon Chai, Traditional Medicinals, Seventh Generation, Stacy's and Whole Foods Market. Through their generosity, shoppers received $21.25 in coupons and supported Calendar sales of $72,932. Given the current average microcredit loan size of $205, this support is funding 355 microcredit loans enabling 1,775* people with the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty.
The Green Children Foundation was established by two musicians to support microcredit, education and healthcare. Through sales and donations Milla Sunde and Tom Bevan managed to raise the funds for a new eye care hospital in rural Bangladesh, a project of Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Izzit.org provides over 150,000 teachers and 15 million students with compelling videos and current event lessons. One of their most successful videos is Pennies a Day which features Muhammad Yunus and a special bonus video by The Green Children. Pennies a Day tells the inspiring story of how one poor family - and their entire village - escaped poverty with the aid of small loans from Grameen Bank. Thanks to Pennies a Day, izzit.org teachers and students are inspired to get involved with microlending.
Mercy Corps helps people in the world’s toughest places turn the crises of natural disaster, poverty and conflict into opportunities for progress. Driven by local needs and market conditions, our programs provide communities with the tools and support they need to transform their own lives. Our worldwide team of 3,700 professionals is improving the lives of 16.7 million people in more than 40 countries. Whole Planet Foundation partners with Mercy Corps in Nepal.
A Glimmer of Hope is a compassionate social enterprise making a sustainable difference in the lives of some of the poorest people in the world. Since 2000, A Glimmer of Hope has helped more than two million people improve their quality of life. The foundation believes justice, equality and dignity are everyone’s birthright and where you are born should not determine whether you live or die. A Glimmer of Hope has developed an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to Humanitarian Aid and Development. It starts at the village level as they listen to community leaders about what they need. Then, using a bottom up instead of a top down approach, A Glimmer of Hope works with those communities to develop a plan and identify projects that truly reflect the true necessities of those communities. Only if the people of these communities are engaged in solving their own issues can the solutions be sustainable. This applies during each of a project’s construction phases but especially after completion when management and maintenance play such an important role in their success. That success is measured in terms of accountability, transparency and performance with photographs, videos, GPS coordinates and inspections by the Addis Ababa-based team all playing an important role in this process. A Glimmer of Hope supports programs in these areas: Water and Sanitation; Education; Health Care; Income Creation; Micro-Finance; Micro-Irrigation; and, Veterinary Clinics. Whole Planet Foundation partners with A Glimmer of Hope in Ethiopia.
Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the Silverton Foundation's vision is of increased opportunity and equity so that people are empowered to improve their lives by building on their own strengths and resiliencies. Through its grant making, the Foundation supports agencies and programs which advance school readiness, transition to college and career, and economic inclusion. Through its activities, the Foundation strives to foster greater community awareness of and commitment to social enterprise. Whole Planet Foundation partners with Silverton Foundation and microfinance institution Moris Rasik in East Timor where Whole Foods Market sources coffee.
Valley Credit Union is a member-owned, not-for-profit financial cooperative serving the diverse communities of the Bay Area, and is also the credit union for Whole Foods Team Members in Northern California in addition to over 300 other companies. Valley Credit Union was established for the sole purpose of people helping people, and as a result, we deliver financial services at little or no cost along with free financial education and counseling to members. We’re pleased to help support the mission of Whole Planet Foundation by generating awareness about the foundation among VCU members, and the people in the greater Bay Area. Whole Planet Foundation is grateful for Valley Credit Union's $500 donation to empower the poor through microcredit.
EARTH University was created in 1990 under the sponsorship of the EARTH University Foundation. EARTH University in Costa Rica strives to create leaders for the 21st century - agents of change who will fundamentally shape the direction of environmental protection and development in Latin America and the global community as a whole.
The Whole Planet Foundation in partnership with Grameen Costa Rica is providing opportunities for EARTH students to experience first-hand the power of microcredit. Through a series of programs including lectures, site visits, technical assistance for microcredit clients and research projects EARTH students and faculty will have an opportunity to learn from the microcredit program as well as further their connection and betterment of the local community.
Aldea is a social business that works in collaboration with rural artisans from villages in developing countries to promote beautiful handmade goods that tell a story. Aldea works directly with these artisans to provide access to international markets for their handmade goods, creating additional income-generating opportunities for the artisans. Each Aldea artisan has received at least one microcredit loan funded by Whole Planet Foundation. She, among others from her community, chose to invest the capital from the microcredit loan into her artisan business. With the income generated from selling their handicrafts through Aldea, along with the capital they are eligible to receive from microcredit loans, many artisans will find business opportunities that will prove more lucrative for them than working with us, enabling them to elevate themselves out of poverty. This creates the opportunity for Aldea to work with new artisans, to expand the scope of our mission, and to multiply the impact of microcredit.
Austin Community College students who belong to Students for Environmental Outreach held a 24 hour bike ride called "24 Hours to Empower" Thursday and Friday April 2nd and 3rd, 2009. It was great fun and raised over $1300 which will fund more than 6 microloans empowering 30 impoverished individuals through microcredit. Thank you ACC students and faculty for raising funds and awareness through riding your bikes. A special thanks to Addie Broussard, Andrew Fest and Ashley Shearman for speaking so eloquently about Whole Planet Foundation and the power of microcredit on Fox 7, which Rob Cunningham, rider and organizer, coordinated. We are grateful, as always, to Supplier Alliance for Microcredit partners Stacy's and Seventh Generation for their generous contribution of pita chips and environmentally friendly soap samples for the event and their consistent support of microcredit through Whole Planet Foundation.
We look forward to "24 Hours to Empower- the 2010 Edition" and appreciate Amy Cunningham for teaching her students that anyone can use their imagination and effort to change the world.
Global Vision International (GVI) was formed in 1998 to provide support and services to international charities, non-profits and governmental agencies, through volunteering opportunities and direct funding. GVI is guided by the unique belief that to be successful, volunteer and service efforts must work at the invitation and under the direction of those they are attempting to assist. Through an international network of over 150 personnel in over 30 countries within six continents, GVI continues to support many of the most critical conservation and humanitarian projects around the globe. GVI is a non-political, non-religious organization, which through its alliance with worldwide aid-reliant organizations provides volunteers with opportunities to fill a critical void in the fields of environmental research, conservation, education and community development. International partners include the South African National Parks Board, Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund, Jane Goodall Institute, Rainforest Concern and Kenyan Wildlife Service. In 2006, 78% of all volunteer contributions received were spent directly in field.
RESULTS is a nonprofit grassroots advocacy organization, committed to creating the political will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty. RESULTS is committed to individuals exercising their personal and political power by lobbying elected officials for effective solutions and key policies that affect hunger and poverty. Creating the will to end hunger and the worst aspects of poverty requires working on multiple fronts to resolve complicated issues that keep hunger and poverty in place.
The first Microcredit Summit, held February 2-4, 1997, in Washington, D.C., brought more than 2,900 people together from 137 countries. The Summit launched a nine-year campaign to reach 100 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, and offer credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the year 2005. That goal was nearly reached and in November of 2006 the Campaign was re-launched and extended to 2015 with two new goals:
Working to ensure that 175 million of the world's poorest families, especially the women of those families, are receiving credit for self-employment and other financial and business services by the end of 2015.
Working to ensure that 100 million families rise above the U.S. $1 a day threshold adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), between 1990 and 2015.
Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM) was founded in 1971, as a private, secular, coeducational and nonprofit University. Its mission is to teach and disseminate the ethical, legal and economic principles of a society of free and responsible persons. In partnership with the Whole Planet Foundation, UFM is giving their students an opportunity to learn from the Guatemala microcredit program. A number of site visits have been conducted by students to witness the impact of microcredit. Recent projects have included joint research with MIT MBA students and participation in the international SIFE competition.
